Two British Columbia men have been charged in connection with a moose-riding video that went viral last year.
In the video posted to YouTube, a motorboat is seen following the animal as it tries to swim through a lake.
A man, standing on the boat in black and white swim trunks, then leaps onto the back of the beast as his friends laugh hysterically, one of them stating: “I’ve never seen something so awesome.”
The “moose-rider” then lifts one arm in the air before falling off the moose.
The video of the incident, which took place in Tuchodi Lakes near Fort Nelson, went viral after it was captured and posted to YouTube by WolfTracker, a self-described outdoor enthusiast who said he was disgusted by what he saw.
The B.C. Conservation Officer Service started investigating after receiving a public complaint about the video in June 2015.
After a year-long investigation, Jaysun Pinkerton and Bradley Crook, both of Fort St. John, have now been charged under the B.C. Wildlife Act with harassing wildlife with the use of a boat, attempting to capture wildlife, and hunting big game that was swimming.
The men are expected to appear in Fort Nelson provincial court on Aug. 8.
